Chapter 83: I Shall Become the Master of Cultivation

“If you reach the realm of Divine Lord, I will marry you. Let’s not speak of this again.”

The Lady Sovereign rose from the lotus pool, her figure graceful and refined, shrouded in a haze of luminous mist. Only her slender, fair legs, tinged with a delicate blush, touched lightly upon the jade steps.

She was not particularly tall, but still stood a little above the young bald one.

“Danya, why do your words sound so strange?” the young bald one muttered, taking a silent bite of his purple sweet potato.

Old Yuan instantly understood: by using the word “marry down,” the Lady Sovereign had made it clear that Young Master Zhiqian’s status was far beneath hers—there was a gap between them.

But then, to marry the Lady Sovereign at all was already a fortune earned from good deeds in a previous life.

Old Yuan kept this thought to himself, never daring to voice it.

“Go to the Ancient First Cultivation Domain.”

The Lady Sovereign was veiled in radiant mist, her limpid eyes reflecting the clarity of a deity’s gaze, bright and piercing as she issued her command.

“No,” the young bald one refused.

“And why not?”

“If you give me a kiss, I’ll go,” he replied, grinning shyly at the Lady Sovereign, whose ethereal beauty seemed almost otherworldly. A faint blush crept over his face.

“Incredible, too bold,” Old Yuan thought, wiping sweat from his brow. Young Master Zhiqian had actually said such a thing!

He could not have known: Danya had inherited the powers of the two most illustrious saints in the history of the Primordial Sect. As a woman, she was especially influenced by that enchanting, otherworldly female saint, her temperament mercurial—sometimes pure, sometimes bewitching, sometimes wrathful.

The Danya before them was no longer the Danya of the past.

“Is that so? Then come here,” the Lady Sovereign’s voice grew cold as she stretched out her hand. Two slender fingers, pale as spring onions, curled slightly. A point of starlit energy, drawn from the distant void, formed in an instant.

Oblivious, the young bald one leaned in, blinking, his face lifted shyly, a bit of sweet potato still at the corner of his mouth. He beamed, “Danya, go ahead—kiss me.”

Old Yuan closed his eyes in sympathy. Poor Young Master Zhiqian—he was in for it now.

“I’ll give you something that rings instead,” the Lady Sovereign replied coolly. With a snap, her fingers flicked out, striking the young bald one on the forehead. With a yelp, his eyes reddened as his once-smooth brow swelled.

At the same moment, a spark of sacred radiance burst forth, sending him straight to the Ancient First Cultivation Domain.

Her task done, the Lady Sovereign turned to Old Yuan.

“You as well.”

Old Yuan forced a laugh. “Yes, Lady Sovereign, I’ll leave through the domain gate at once.”

“No need. I’ll send you,” the Lady Sovereign said mildly. Again, a finger flicked through the air, the arc of light striking Old Yuan in the chest. A vortex of void appeared, swallowing him whole, erasing him from the great hall.

“Whew—”

Once the two were gone, the Lady Sovereign let out a long breath.

A bit impulsive, perhaps, but how satisfying.

A peal of laughter—bold, seductive, and tinged with mature allure—echoed suddenly through the empty sanctuary, charming and intoxicating, utterly unlike her previous gentle tone.

One would wonder if she was even the same person.

...

Ancient First Star Domain, somewhere amid the stars.

The young bald one sat on a meteor, clutching his forehead, his eyes shimmering with tears, looking for all the world like a wronged child. Remembering Danya’s coldness as he left, he could no longer hold back—tears streamed down like pearls.

“Wicked Danya… I liked you so much, and now that Mother’s gone, you dare hit me… boo hoo…”

Suddenly, a cry of pain rang out. Old Yuan flew in from afar, clutching his waist, grimacing as he landed beside the young bald one.

The young bald one wiped his tears and snapped, “Old Yuan, what are you yelling about? Danya didn’t flick your forehead. Do you even know how upset I am right now? Why aren’t you comforting me?”

Old Yuan forced a sheepish smile.

He was at the peak of Light Mastery, a powerhouse of the Eternal Creation Realm. The Lady Sovereign hadn’t used much force with that flick; his earlier cries had been somewhat exaggerated.

Scurrying over, Old Yuan helped his young master up, rubbing his sore brow and sighing, “Does it hurt, young master? The Lady Sovereign didn’t show any mercy at all.”

“Hurt? Of course it hurts!” the young bald one wailed, snot and tears streaming down. “But worse is how much my heart aches. Danya wasn’t like this before. Ever since she became Sovereign, she barely pays any attention to me. I was so good to her…”

Old Yuan sighed, comforting him, “Ever since the Lady Sovereign attained sainthood, she’s been influenced by that saint. Her personality was bound to change a little. But don’t fret, young master… in the end, she’s still going to marry you, isn’t she?”

Encouraged, the young bald one felt a bit better, grumbling softly to himself.

Of late, Danya’s attitude toward him seemed to change constantly, never stable. Sometimes she teased him with a bewitching smile, leaving him blushing furiously; sometimes she was icy and distant; sometimes she flew into a rage and flicked his brow.

Remembering what his mother had said before leaving, the young bald one grew anxious. “Old Yuan, Mother said the two saints of Yu Chu were extraordinary, and that inheriting their power would sway one’s heart. Do you think Danya…”

“Never!” Old Yuan replied firmly. “The Lady Sovereign was born a Dao Spirit, her will is unmatched. Just give her time—she’ll surely master the saint’s influence over her.”

“Oh.” The young bald one nodded uncertainly. “I hope Danya softens soon, and marries me quickly.”

“Well… young master, since we’re here in the Ancient First Cultivation Domain, let’s get to honing our skills.” Old Yuan changed the subject, using a gentle wave of light to soothe the swelling on his young master’s brow, smiling as he spoke.

“Yes. Training,” the young bald one replied, clenching his fists. Remembering the promise between him and Danya, his eyes blazed. “There’s some great calamity here, isn’t there? Let’s wipe it out. I must work hard and become a Cultivation Lord as soon as possible!”

Old Yuan could only smile awkwardly.

Becoming a Cultivation Lord was not so easily achieved.

Thanks to the immense resources of the Primordial Sect, Young Master Zhiqian could be swiftly advanced to the realm of Light Mastery. But beyond that, it grew far harder—Cultivation Lord required profound insight into the laws, something outside power could barely help, unless one found some peerless treasure of the spirit cosmos.

Old Yuan shook his head, recalling the Lady Sovereign’s purpose for sending them here. He forced a smile. “Young Master Zhiqian, the current threat here is called the Divine Shrine. It’s appeared in several places. The Starsea Sacred Palace has already made a move; we have to hurry.”

“Hmm, you’re right,” the young bald one said, frowning. “What are we waiting for? Bring out the divine weapon and let’s deal with the calamity. If the Starsea Sacred Palace gets ahead of us, Danya will be displeased.”

“Yes, sir.” Old Yuan quickly produced a black broken blade.

The broken blade was thin, its hilt also snapped in half, as if sliced by some force. Only a quarter of its gossamer blade remained, dark and dull, looking no different from an ordinary black spike.

The young bald one took it up and gave it a gentle swing.

Whoosh!

A surge of cosmic holy power erupted.

A jet-black sword beam slashed across nine hundred light-years, cleaving through dozens of star systems.

Thunder rumbled as burning suns toppled in its wake, chaos sweeping through every planetary system along its path.

“Good heavens! Young master, you can’t use it like that!” Old Yuan cried out in terror, utterly aghast.